(Photo Credit: Alex Brandon/AP)

As a tool to gain momentum and show a bit of reader appreciation heading into the winter months and the MLB Hot Stove season, the folks here at TBPC decided it would be a great idea to conduct our second official giveaway — a set of two Clayton Kershaw Bowman rookie cards.

The first card in the two-card rookie set is the 2007 Bowman USA Rookie #BDPP77. It’s the third mainstream card of the three-time Cy Young Award winner to ever hit the presses. While there doesn’t seem to be any shortages of this card, it still remains popular with collectors and dealers alike. These cards are generally perfect for grading, having been centered nicely with exceptionally sharp corners. The picture on the face of the card depicts Kersh on the bump for USA Baseball’s Junior National Team in the 2006 Pan Am Championship. In mint condition, this card ordinarily retails somewhere around the $10.00 range.

The second card is the 2008 Bowman Rookie #BDP26. It’s one of the first commonly recognized rookie cards for CK, appearing in circulation during his first year of major league service. The photo on the front of the card shows Kershaw in uniform for the Gulf Coast League Dodgers, just before he was promoted to Great Lakes in 2007. In mint condition, this card is valued in the $20.00 vicinity, while some of these cards are selling for $75-$100 graded in Gem MT 10 condition.

Once considered a lucrative investment many years ago, baseball cards overall have become a not-so-valuable form of collecting in today’s antiquing arenas. While there are plenty of stories about fans who bought baseball card sets in the late 80s and early 90s who can’t get pennies on the dollar today, many of the Kershaw cards, including this pair in particular, continue to increase exponentially annually.

Even if your not into baseball cards or collectibles, this little set always makes the ideal Christmas gift for the avid Dodgers fan. They are perfect to pass along to children or to even simply place in a safety box and letting their value increase with each passing season.

In order to enter our giveaway, we ask that you retweet this article and follow both @thinkbluepc and @DodgerGirlinPA on Twitter. Or, if Twitter isn’t your cup of tea, simply like our page on facebook and share this article to your timeline. One lucky reader will be chosen at random on Sunday evening.

All of us here at Think Blue Planning Committee are constantly reminded that this blog would have fallen flat on its face many months ago if it wasn’t for the continuous support of our readers. To show further appreciation, we intend to conduct another ticket-type giveaway to a Dodgers home game once the season draws near. In the meantime, thanks for reading and good luck in the contest.